Skaggs Graduate School at Scripps Research earns another top ten ranking
World-renowned program is ranked highly for chemistry and biological sciences.
April 07, 2022
LA JOLLA, CA—The Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences at Scripps Research is again ranked among the top ten graduate programs in the nation according to a recent survey by U.S. News & World Report. Since first climbing into the top ten ranks in 1999, the Skaggs Graduate School has continually maintained its position among the nation’s elite graduate programs.
According to the survey, which was released March 29, 2022, the school’s chemistry program ranks 6th in the nation and the biological sciences program ranks 9th, up one notch from the last ranking. “These high rankings reflect the outstanding reputation of the students, staff, faculty and alumni of the Skaggs Graduate School with leaders at our peer institutes throughout the country,” says Phil Dawson, PhD, dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at Scripps Research.
With a bicoastal presence—the Skaggs Graduate School enrolls students on campuses in La Jolla, California, and Jupiter, Florida—the program is unique among its top 10 peers, says Christoph Rader, PhD, associate dean in Florida. “Between our two campuses, we collectively enroll approximately 300 PhD students,” he says. “These talented young scientists are destined to shape the future of human health at the intersections of chemistry, biology and medicine.”
Due to its high rankings, the graduate program draws international attention. In fall 2021, the program enrolled 72 students, with 28 arriving from countries around the world. The most recent incoming class is almost equally divided by gender, with 37 female students and 35 male students.
Katja Lamia, PhD, associate dean in California, says, “We strive to identify and recruit the best and brightest students from across the globe—those who represent the diversity of our nation and our world. We support them throughout their graduate training and equip them to launch productive careers.”
Since its founding in 1989, the graduate program has placed over 100 alumni in faculty positions at major universities and colleges around the world, according to Dawson. Hundreds more alumni, he adds, have been placed in leadership roles in biotech and pharmaceutical companies, as well as government policy organizations.
The Skaggs Graduate School, widely recognized for its rigorous standards, is also noted for its flexibility: students are encouraged to customize their studies to reflect personal research interests or to combine interests.
“You can come to Scripps Research and conduct very focused, basic chemistry or biology research, or you can train at the interface of chemistry and biology for a truly personalized experience,” says Dawn Eastmond, PhD, director of Graduate Studies. The school also offers students the opportunity to work toward a degree by studying in England. Its unique Skaggs-Oxford Program, a five-year program in biology or chemistry at Scripps Research and biochemistry at the University of Oxford, leads to the awarding of a dual PhD/DPhil degree. Four students in the fall 2021 class are enrolled in the Skaggs-Oxford Program.
In 2018, following a significant contribution by the Skaggs family and their foundations toward endowing student fellowships, the program was renamed the Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences. The school will hold a commencement ceremony for its current graduating class on May 20, 2022.
For more information, contact press@scripps.edu